Aside from within thunderstorms, August is not known for wind. In fact, it’s the least windy month on average. Since Saturday, we haven’t been able to buy a breeze. Average wind speeds have been 5mph or less, which doesn’t help with any humidity relief.
One of the key reasons why August is the least windy on average is due to the average temperature gradient (spread) across the country this time of year. When the air is closer in temperature, there’s less of a pressure gradient, meaning less wind overall.

Each year we mark time by certain events. It could be a birthday, anniversary, holiday, or festival. Others may mark time using astronomical events that happen at yearly intervals. One such event is coming up this weekend. It is time to prepare for the Perseid meteor shower.
Saturday and Sunday night, August 11th and 12th, mark the peak of the meteor shower that is already going on. At peak time under good conditions, you can expect to see 60 to 70 meteors per hour.
Good visibility is in the forecast for both nights. The moon will also not be an issue this year with only a crescent moon appearing.
The best viewing will be in a dark location without any light pollution. Go there and give your eyes 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Look to the northeast about 40 degrees off the horizon. The meteors will appear to come from the constellation Perseus with Cassiopeia just above.
In summary: this weekend, check out a dark location, let your eyes adjust and look to the northeast.
Happy stargazing!

The general precipitation theme over the past couple of years in Iowa has been for northern Iowa to be wet, while southern Iowa has been dry. Since January 2017, much of northern Iowa has had a surplus of precipitation to the tune of at least six inches. That includes rainfall and melted snow. Meanwhile, southern Iowa has had a precipitation deficit of as much as 12 to 15 inches! Right in the middle across the central part of the state, precipitation has generally been within a few inches of what would be expected since the start of 2017.
Over the past year, the Drought Monitor has put southern Iowa in at least abnormally dry conditions every week. Quite often, moderate or worse drought has been noted. This week’s update to the Drought Monitor on Thursday morning will show that drought conditions continue in southern Iowa, and there isn’t any promise for a soaking rain in the near future.

You may be surprised to know that August can be a rather foggy month over parts of eastern Iowa, especially in the river valleys. In Dubuque, an average of seven mornings have dense fog in August. Dense fog is when visibility is a quarter-mile or less.
The nights get longer in August while the humidity stays high. This is a good environment for fog to form. The most likely time for it is between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m., with the second half of the month favored over the first half.